Our Team

Meet our team of highly qualified professionals and specialist trainers.

Brett Thornett

Director

BBus (Accounting), CPA, Cert IV TAE

With Applied Education since 2001, Brett has lectured in commercial law, accounting, finance and accounting data applications. Following his success in training and professional qualifications, Brett developed our Payroll Administration and Salary Packaging training courses, as well as assisting bookkeepers with the licensing requirements of the Tax Practitioners Board.

Dan Logan

Director

As a founding partner at Applied Education, Dan has over 25 years experience in Education specialising in IT Systems and applications. With his in-depth knowledge and practical experience in Enterprise Computing, Microsoft applications, Google Suite and more recently cloud architecture implementations, Dan is able to provide specialised guidance and training programs to clients. Dan’s passion includes his primary role as Chief Information Officer and Digital Marketing Manager at Applied Education.

Brooking Hovell

Student Recruitment Manager

Diploma of Business

Brooking has a long-spanning customer service background, holding a number of operational and leadership roles since 2003. After ten years primarily in the communications industry, Brooking moved to education and hasn't looked back. Brooking enjoys being able to help students find the right course to suit their goals and aspirations for furthering their careers. He takes the time to fully understand a person's situation and establish their individual needs so that he can provide the best advice.

Marnie Dalwood

Course Trainer

Prior to teaching, Marnie spent 15 years in the airline industry communicating with people of all levels, backgrounds and cultures. Marnie now applies these skills within the classroom, where she is committed to providing a successful transfer of knowledge to all of her students. Currently working within the bookkeeping industry keeps her up to date with industry trends and requirements, and provides real-life examples (both good and bad!) for her to share in class. Marnie is a fantastic teacher and is passionate about passing on her knowledge and experience to students.

Chandrika Edirisinghe

Senior Trainer & Assessor

Chandrika brings over 15 years of industry experience to her role as Senior Assessor, as a Finalist Chartered Accountant working in senior accounting and management roles and obtaining her training from KPMG, one of the 'Big Four' accounting firms in the world. Transitioning to education in 2011, Chandrika has been sharing her expansive accounting knowledge with others ever since. A member of the IPA and the ICB, Chandrika always keeps her industry knowledge current and up to date. She is extremely thorough and patient with her students, and is passionate about helping them to achieve their career goals.

James Chung

Senior Trainer & Assessor

James has worked in finance and accounting since 2004, including roles as a business analyst and management accountant. James first started teaching on weekends as a volunteer Mandarin teacher, before deciding to use his accounting experience to go into teaching accounting full time. Specialising in commercial accounting and taxation, James has a knack for explaining complex subjects in a way that students can understand them more easily. His relaxed and easy-going nature helps to put students at ease when studying the more advanced accounting and taxation topics.

Jenni Cullen

Trainer & Assessor

After managing the books for her family's businesses for a number of years, Jenni joined Applied Education in 2014 as a bookkeeper. She later became a qualified trainer and assessor herself, and now uses her considerable bookkeeping experience to help students pursue their own careers in bookkeeping and accounting. Jenni is passionate about seeing her students succeed, sharing her best tips and tricks in the world of bookkeeping.

Janelle Bruzzese

Trainer & Assessor

Janelle began with Applied Education in 2016, after many years of experience in accounts administration and management. A Xero and Quickbooks certified advisor, Janelle also runs her own bookkeeping business offering BAS services. Janelle's enthusiasm for helping people led her to her current role, where she passes on her knowledge to others to assist them in starting or furthering their career. She prides herself on her ability to communicate concepts to her students and is diligent about keeping course content relevant and practical.

Jennifer Forbes

Project Trainer & Assessor

A highly-qualified CPA, BAS Agent, and Xero Certified Advisor, Jennifer first began in the training and education industry in 1995. After roles in oil and gas, the State Government and SMEs, and with over 20 years of accounting and management experience, Jennifer is well equipped to oversee the compliance department at Applied Education. She has a passion for, and is committed to, developing and delivering training products of the highest quality.

Cherrie Chambers

Assessor

Bachelor of Business – Accounting & Information Systems

Cherrie has over 11 years' experience in accounts administration and has worked for the building, education and retail industries. She also spent two years as a professional development coordinator helping people further their careers, providing the basis for her current role in helping students. A highly organised and efficient worker, Cherrie conducts herself with a great deal of professionalism when providing support and encouragement to students. She is committed to honest working practices and always follows up with students on any outstanding matters.

Adele Raath

Assessor

Adele is a highly qualified Chartered Accountant with many years' experience in high-level accounting roles, including managing government audits for the Auditor-General of South Africa. She began in education in 2008 as a Senior Lecturer in Management Accounting at the University of South Africa, and enjoys the interaction of working with students in a learning environment. Adele is particularly skilled at explaining basic principles and is highly regarded by students for her patience and willingness to help.

Candice Barrett

Student Engagement Officer

Certificate III in Customer Engagement

Candice has extensive experience in student support and traineeship programs, having worked in student services roles since 2009. Her friendly, positive nature helps her to engage with students, and Candice has now helped hundreds of students to successfully complete their studies. She is committed to providing quality customer service and always strives to ensure students feel well looked after at all times.

Cameron Pilbeam

Student Engagement Officer

Certificate III in Business Management

Cameron has many years of sales experience, particularly in the telecommunications industry, but his real passion is for helping people and making a difference. Cameron has been involved in the successful startup of a not-for-profit organisation, and now shares his enthusiasm for helping people as part of the student support team at Applied Education. His ability to listen, and his patient and positive nature help him guide students on the path to achieve their goals or career aspirations.

Dannielle Smith

Enrolment Adviser

Bachelor of Arts (Social Work), Certificate III in Event Management

Danni's training and experience in social work plus four years of customer service experience, means she is a great listener and is focused on supporting the students to find the right course that will benefit them and their future. Although new to the education industry, Danni's dedication and drive to help people means that she has quickly become a valuable team member at Applied Education. Danni is a very positive, bubbly person. She loves sports and the outdoors and world travel is one of her goals.

Tom Whitehead

Enrolment Adviser

Certificate IV in Property Services (Real Estate)

Tom has a background in real estate and retail and having spent four years in recruitment and training he found his passion is working with and helping people. Tom is one of the friendly team at the end of the phone helping with enrolments and he places great importance on making sure you are enroled in the right course for you. Tom is also passionate about health and fitness and a positive influence in the office!

Angela Tripoli

Administration Officer

Certificate IV in Customer Contact

Angela joined Applied Education in 2014 after an extensive background in administration in a variety of industries, including three years in hairdressing and more than 13 years in the mining industry. When not in the office, Angela also runs her own business with her husband which they started together in 2002. Always on the go, Angela has a real can-do attitude and expertly prioritises her work to ensure tasks are completed as required.

Antonella Henderson

Administration Officer

Bachelor of Business – Information Processing

Antonella began in the education industry in 2012 after a long career in the IT and finance industries, including working as an analyst programmer for ten years. She also spent two years as a business analyst and has worked for major financial institutions including the Royal Bank of Scotland based in Edinburgh. With such an extensive background in information technology and financial analysis, it's little wonder Antonella's main strengths are her high level of attention to detail and accuracy, skills she now puts to good use as a key member of Applied Education's administration team.

Nicky Carey

Marketing Coordinator

Bachelor of Arts (Modern Languages), Post Grad Certificate in Marketing, IT and Market Research

Nicky has over 15 years of marketing experience in Government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and SME's in Australia and overseas. She has recently started work at Applied Education and is thrilled to be part of this company with a long-standing reputation in education and training excellence. Nicky's organisational skills, calm and friendly manner and aim to support a positive learning experience means she is a key player in the drive to ensure that the best resources and information are available to all our course participants.